2024-2025 Amarillo ISD Assessment Calendar

View the 2024-2025 Amarillo ISD assessment calendar (PDF opens in new window) for dates and details regarding our State mandated testing, District testing, and college preparatory testing.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Crystal Glover, Program Director, Assessment, at 806-326-2808.

STAAR

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, is the state testing program that was implemented in the 2011–2012 school year. The Texas Education Agency (TEA), in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and Texas educators, developed the STAAR program in response to requirements set forth by the 80th and 81st Texas legislatures. STAAR is an assessment program designed to measure the extent to which students have learned and are able to apply the knowledge and skills defined in the state-mandated curriculum standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Every STAAR question is directly aligned to the TEKS currently implemented for the grade/subject or course being assessed. The STAAR program includes STAAR and STAAR Spanish. There are large print, braille, paper, and online versions of STAAR with and without designated supports. For more information about the STAAR program, visit the STAAR Resources webpage at http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/staar (Opens in new window).

STAAR assessments are administered for the following grades, subjects, and courses:

• Grades 3–8 mathematics
• Grades 3–8 reading
• Grades 5 and 8 science
• Grade 8 social studies
• Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History

STAAR assessments are a requirement under Texas Education Code 39.022.

Results are available to parents and students through TEA’s Family Portal located here: https://www.texasassessment.gov (Opens in new window). Parents are notified as soon as each set of results are available via school flyers and ParentSquare call outs.

TELPAS

TELPAS is an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language. The letters in TELPAS stand for the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System. The Texas Education Agency developed TELPAS to meet state and federal requirements. Texas annually assesses the English language proficiency of students who have been identified as English learners (ELs) in four language domains—listening, speaking, reading, and writing. TELPAS evaluates the progress that each EL makes in becoming proficient in the use of academic English.

TELPAS assessments fulfill federal requirements for assessing the English language proficiency of English learners.

Students in grades K-12 that have been identified as an EL are required to take TELPAS. This includes ELs whose parents have declined bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) program services. They will stop participating in TELPAS when their language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) determines that they are proficient in the English language and have met exit criteria. This applies to all ELs even those who are not in a bilingual or ESL program. Once a student has met the state’s exit criteria, they will no longer be identified as an EL and will not have to participate in TELPAS. Information about the state’s reclassification (exit) criteria can be found at https://tea.texas.gov/bilingual/esl/education (Opens in new window).

TELPAS is an untimed test. Most students take between 1 and 2 hours to complete this online assessment. Results are available to parents and students through TEAs Student Portal located here: https://www.texasassessment.com (Opens in new window). Parents are notified as soon as the results are available via school flyers and ParentSquare call outs.

Circle Progress Monitoring System

The Circle Progress Monitoring System is used to assess all 4 year old students in Pre K. Circle assesses letter naming, vocabulary naming, math, early writing skills, and social and emotional development. The purpose of this assessment is to monitor student progress in each of these areas throughout their Pre K year and to help teachers determine how to individualize instruction to meet each students’ need.

Progress monitoring is a requirement of the Texas Education Agency under House Bill 3.

This assessment takes 8 minutes per student in a one-on-one setting with their teacher. Results are recorded instantly and are accessible for teachers and parents immediately.

Istation as Progress Monitoring

The Istation ISIP Reading progress monitoring system is used to assess all kindergarten thru 6th grade students, and any 7th and 8th grade students who are not yet on reading level and/or have not yet met Meets on STAAR testing.

Progress monitoring is a requirement of the Texas Education Agency under House Bill 3.

Students in K. thru 6th grade are assessed three times per year. 7th and 8th grade students are assessed until they show to be on reading level and achieve Meets on STAAR. Each assessment takes about 20 minutes per student. Results are recorded in Istation instantly and teachers then enter those results into Skyward for parents to access.

Istation as Dyslexia Screener

Istation is used to screen all students in kindergarten and first grades for dyslexia and identify each student’s overall reading ability and individual skill ability. Istation assesses phonological and phonemic awareness, sound-symbol recognition, letter knowledge, decoding skills, spelling, listening comprehension, reading rate, and reading accuracy.

Under House Bill 1886, Texas Education Code 38.003 requires that all students in kindergarten and first grades be screened for dyslexia and related disorders. It takes approximately 30 minutes to access a classroom of students. Kindergarten students are assessed three times a year and first graders are assessed each six weeks. Parents receive a letter from the campus with results from this assessment within 30 days.

TSI

The TSI Assessment is part of the Texas Success Initiative program designed to help determine if high school students are ready for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. This program also will help determine what type of course or intervention will best meet the student’s needs to become better prepared for college-level coursework if they are not ready.

The TSI is given to all 11th students in Amarillo ISD and any high students who have not already met college ready standards. The TSI usually takes 4 hours to complete each section of the assessment. Results are received immediately upon completion of each section.

Pre-SAT (PSAT)

The PSAT is the practice SAT and focuses on the skills and knowledge students need for future success. The PSAT measures what students have learned so far and what students need to know to succeed in college. The PSAT contains sections for reading, math, and writing and language skills.

All AISD students in grades 8, 10, and 11 take the PSAT during the fall semester. Students are allowed 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete this exam. Results are available in December and are accessed in the student’s College Board account.

SAT

The SAT focuses on the skills and knowledge students need for future success. The SAT measures what students have learned so far and what students need to know to succeed in college. The SAT contains sections for reading, math, and writing and language skills. All AISD students in grade 11 take the SAT during the spring semester. Students are allowed 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete this exam. Results are available in April and are accessed in the student’s College Board account. Students are given 4 free score sends to the college or university of their choice.